180 Lunches

  • Best Games: Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound

    Best Games of the 2020’s is back with a hack and slash platformer. A very good, but not very innovative open world sequel comes off the board.

    Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound(2025) goes on at 42

    This game got great reviews last year, but I wasn’t quite sold on it till I found out it was developed by The Game Kitchen. Over the holidays last year I had a great time with Blasphemous and it’s sequel on the Steam Deck. Ninja Gaiden builds on the crisp pixel art and combat from those games, but plays more like a SNES era platformer.

    It presents the right amount of challenge too. Ever since Elden Ring guided me out of the baby pool, I’ve had more appetite for a game that was going to challenge me and then deliver the sensation of accomplishment when I conquered it. See Exhibit A: Silksong in 2025. That is mostly the bosses in Ragebound, but their are some platforming sections that scratch the itch too.

    Horizon Forbidden West (2022) is a fantastic evolution of the original 2014 game. Every aspect matured to really bring together a fun game and realization of the concept. But packed with too much open world empty calorie tedium.

  • The Mountain – Gorillaz

    I came to the latest Gorillaz album not by way of the music, but this stellar animated music video that covers three of it’s tracks. I’ve watched it four times at this point and will surely watch it again. It is hand drawn 2d animation from The Line (a good follow)to match the period of films it is inspired by.

    Then it turns out the whole album is great too. Chill beats, belting upbeat songs, and features from Black Thought, Yasiin Bey, and more.

  • 26 in 26: Mason’s & BAR-Q

    New entries in the 26 restaurants in 2026 challenge this week.

    Mason’s Famous Lobster Rolls

    Not all entries here have to be fancy sit down dinners. Sometimes they can be delicious fast casual franchise spots selling buttery mother watering lobster rolls. We dragged the 13 year old here with us, who had never had a lobster roll before. He and we gave it all two thumbs way up.

    Bar-Q

    I started following this BBQ spot the moment they announced they’d be opening a Richmond location. Then we never got around to visiting. In retrospect that is a shame because we’ve been missing out on some of the best brisket in town. The sides crushed too, candied yams with character I.e., not just a sugar bomb and super crispy hushpuppies with glossy honey butter. We had beers, but we need to go back and try the limeade.

  • The Fall-Off – J. Cole

    I’d call myself a casual J. Cole fan. My annual Spotify wrapped generally does not include him, but there is probably a new track or feature of his that makes my person playlist every year. Starting Dreamville, putting on J.I.D., and Earth Gang probably rank higher for me than his music.

    BUT! His new album is great and you should give it a listen! It is a good whole album listen too, which continues to be a rare thing these days.

  • WBN: Flight of the Icaron

    I’ve been listening to Worlds Beyond Number since they launched back in 2023. The newest series “Flight of the Icaron” is fantastic and just started in January. It is grounded sci-fi using the Star Wars 5e system, but is distinctly not Star Wars. Lou Wilson is in the DM chair and killing it. While Brennan Mulligan, Aabria Iyengar, and Erika Ishii are all playing complex, but fun characters. Its a great listening companion to the Scum & Villainy campaign I am currently co-running for our group.

  • 26 in 26: Shoreline & Tulsi

    Here’s to a new restaurant challenge in a new year. 26 restaurants in 2026, all captured on a new project page. The simple math of keeping up with a new restaurant every two weeks was never lost on us last year. But, we also didn’t do a great job monitoring our pace. Something we endeavor to do better this year.

    Shoreline

    We don’t get a ton of great restaurants in our neck of the woods. So it is almost criminal it took us this long to visit Shoreline. A seafood market first, a lunch spot second, and potentially a dinner spot later this year? The crab roll, sticky rice fries, and grilled salmon salad were all excellent choices.

    Tulsi Indian Cuisine

    Walking up and down Carytown over the years I’ve clocked plenty of restaurants that we’ve never been to. So the “new to us” stipulation of this years challenge is part of the joy of dining out. Turns out Tulsi has killer Indian dishes that we could have/should have been enjoying this whole time. My lamb palak in particular was delicious.

  • Bad Bunny

    “Hey, have you heard of this Bad Bunny guy? His songs are pretty good” was the Dad joke that elicited teen eyes rolling in our house the week before the Super Bowl. In all honesty, not until that time had I really given it a try. I’m a non-Spanish speaking man in his 40s, that made a pact with the music devil in the late 80s to exclusively listen to rap and hip hop.

    That said, Bad Bunny is making some pretty damn good music. Turn it up in your car or home and watch as everyone present starts to uncontrollably nod and then eventually dance. It’s a fun time.

  • My Favorite Lyrics with Devon Walker

    I was a fan of Devon Walker on SNL, but didn’t know any of his other work until Langston Kerman and David Gborie guested on his podcast. Now I listen most weeks, I dug into his old stand up, and tune in when his name pops up.

  • Best Games: Absolum

    Best Games of the 2020’s is back with the first game in 2026. Well a 2025 released game and this post is 2026. Also, a proper skateboard sequel, that did it better on every front, is off the list.

    Absolum(2025) goes on at 40

    There are a lot of modern beat ’em up games out there. From recent entries like TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge to first wave games like 2008’s Castle Crashers. Those feel modern and were really fun to play, but not reimagined or innovative. Not till Absolum last year did we really experience a new twist to the formula.

    Absolum is a fantasy beat ’em up that looks great. A hand drawn design feel and a world that feels alive. What it brings new is very similar to what Hades has accomplished twice now. Replay-ability and narrative hooks. They infuse the start, fail, reset, and start again loop with a story that unravels around it and character progression.

    The story is interesting, the NPCs and characters are compelling, and the map evolves and branches the more you play. Throw online and couch co-op into the pot and you have a very interesting game. It only falls into the lower half of the list because I rolled credits at 20-ish hours and I didn’t feel as compelled to keep playing for post credit. Thought it looks to have a lot more on offer after that.

    OlliOlli World (2022) is a fantastic evolution of the original 2014 game. Every aspect matured to really bring together a fun game and realization of the concept.

  • Predator Badlands & VFX

    I’ve been eagerly awaiting Dan Trachtenberg‘s third Predator entry. After Prey and Killer of Killers where so great, I wanted more fresh takes on this world. We waited for it to hit streaming and then caught it on a snowed in weekend in late January. It was worth the wait, fun action, a story that isn’t just a back drop to that action, and some comedy to balance out the self seriousness. Also killer visual and practical effects, costumes, etc.

    Between Alien: Earth, Alien: Romulus, and these new predator movies I’m a really enjoying this generation the franchises. Where prior to the 2020’s, I’d have told you that all of it was bad since the original films. Well maybe, I never saw Aliens vs Predator – Requiem in 2007.

    Bonus & Big Spoilers: Corridor had on a guest from Weta FX to break down some of the VFX (visual effects). It is great, but heavy on spoilers, I’d highly recommend the movie first if you haven’t.